Catching Up with an NHL Enforcer: An Exclusive Q&A with Jimmy Mann
For hockey fans who grew up watching the physical, hard-nosed era of the NHL, the name Jimmy Mann commands respect. Drafted 19th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in 1979, the Verdun native carved out a gritty, memorable career playing alongside and against some of the game’s absolute legends.
Ahead of his appearances connecting with fans and raising money for charity, we sat down with Jimmy to talk about draft day memories, dropping the gloves with the toughest players in hockey history, protecting franchise icons, and why those vintage hockey cards ended up in bicycle spokes.
From Verdun to the Show: The 1979 Draft
Q: What was it like to be the Winnipeg Jets' first-ever first-round pick? Do you remember the emotions you felt?
Jimmy Mann: Coming from Verdun, everyone played hockey, and it was everyone’s dream to make it to the National Hockey League. On draft day, I was so nervous! It wasn’t like today where everyone goes to the rink. My draft was done by teleconference, so I was at home waiting. Then the phone rang, and the person on the other end said, “Congratulations, you’ve been drafted in the first round, 19th overall, by the Winnipeg Jets!” I thought it was a joke, but my dream was simply to be able to go to training camp. I was both excited and nervous. Then, my general manager, John Ferguson, called to tell me the team news. I, a kid from Verdun, couldn’t believe it! My mom thought she was going to have a heart attack—she was so worried! I called all my friends; David Hurley was the first. A true dream come true.
Dropping the Gloves and Battling the Best
Q: You had to face the toughest players of your era. Who was the toughest guy you ever fought?
Jimmy Mann: At 20, in the National Hockey League, I fought a lot of guys: Terry O’Reilly, Stan Jonathan, Chris Nilan, but the toughest I ever faced was Bob Probert. After my career, we became friends, like all tough guys do. Today, Chris and I are good friends. We talk often, but that’s how it was in hockey back in my day: we had a lot of respect for each other.
Q: If you could play alongside one current NHL player, who would it be and why?
Jimmy Mann: There are a few, but who I really would have liked to play beside is Connor McDavid. If I had him as my center in my day—wow, I probably would have played another five years! Haha. Sydney Crosby would’ve been unbelievable also. But hey, I did get to protect Dale Hawerchuk and Mario Lemieux in my career.
Life on the Road and Teammate Bonds
Q: Did you have a favorite teammate that you played with?
Jimmy Mann: There wasn’t really just one player that I hung out with a lot, there were many. But when Serge Savard came to play in Winnipeg I used to go to his house a lot because I was alone, and I also went to Morris Lukowich’s house a lot. Really, the whole team hung together in Winnipeg a lot.
Q: Between Winnipeg, Quebec City, and Pittsburgh, which was your favorite city to play in, and why?
Jimmy Mann: Winnipeg all the way. The team was very close. We did a lot of activities together, the fans were great, and we were not always under the microscope of all the media around the league. It was a great place to play. The fans were unbelievable, we stuck together, and we were really close as a team. I still have a family that I’m very close with today—I loved the ‘Peg!
Q: Favorite place to eat on the road?
Jimmy Mann: I love steakhouses and Italian restaurants. But on days off—even today—great sports bars to watch hockey or other sports with my buddies is what I really enjoy.
Superstitions and Memorabilia
Q: Did you have any superstitions when you played?
Jimmy Mann: Superstitions? Not that much. The only two things I did were always put my right skate on first and eat the same thing before every game. That was all for me.
Q: What is your favorite piece of hockey memorabilia?
Jimmy Mann: Probably my first career goal puck that they put into a trophy. After that, I have memorabilia of different players, but pretty well just that.
Q: Do you remember ever collecting hockey cards as a kid?
Jimmy Mann: Listen, we all collected hockey cards back in the day, but we never really kept them. We used to put them in the spokes of our bikes to make noise! Imagine that—we probably had big, important cards that were worth a fortune, but we used them in our bike spokes. Haha!
Giving Back at Card Shows
Q: What is your favorite part of attending card shows today?
Jimmy Mann: What I really enjoy about card shows is meeting the people, talking hockey, and raising money for charities—that is so important. I did 24 years with the Oldtimers Hockey Tour raising money all over the country for different charities. I try and give back to the game what I got out of it. But like I said, meeting the fans, talking hockey, and shaking their hands is a true thrill for me.
Thank you so much to Jimmy Mann for attending our show and showing so much love to our community. It is legends like Jimmy who make the hobby—and our local events—so special.
Make sure to keep an eye on the schedule for our upcoming card shows and monthly trade nights, where you can meet hockey greats, score some incredible collectibles, and help us continue supporting fantastic local causes!
